Pearls have long been considered a symbol of purity and innocence. They have a rich history, from the ancient Greeks and Romans who believed that pearls were tears of the gods to modern Chinese who believe they contain the wisdom of the dragons. These days freshwater pearls are an affordable way to add a natural glow to your jewelry and look fabulous with jeans or a little black dress.

Freshwater pearls are produced by mollusks (primarily mussels) that live in rivers, lakes and non-salted ponds. They are harvested by hand, often in the fields of small family-owned and operated farms. They can be natural or cultured. More than 90% of all freshwater pearls are known as baroque, meaning they have an irregular shape. This is the most common type of pearl, which makes each one truly unique and individual.

Cultured freshwater pearls are grown by inserting a foreign nucleus into the mantle tissue of the host mollusk. The most popular method is a bead nucleus that is commonly made of nacre (mother-of-pearl). The nucleus stimulates the mollusk to produce nacre and create a pearl sac around it, resulting in a cultured pearl. https://quatangthanhdat.com/ky-niem-chuong-pha-le-cao-cap/ culturing process is simpler than saltwater, allowing more insertions per shell and a higher percentage of round pearls.

While China now dominates the global freshwater pearl market, other countries, such as Japan (Biwa pearls) and the United States, still produce a significant volume of these pearls. The tetragon shell mussels Hyriopsis cumingi and Hyriopsis schlegeli are the most common commercially cultivated freshwater mollusks. Freshwater pearls are also produced by a variety of other bivalve mussels in natural environments.

The luster of a pearl is the most critical indicator in judging its value. The mesmerizing luminosity that defines a pearl is the result of the layers of nacre, or mother-of-pearl, that cover the core.

Pearl luster is one of the seven elements used by gemologists to evaluate and grade the quality of pearls. Other criteria include size, shape, color, surface quality, and nacre quality.

Most pearls have been treated to improve their appearance. For example, a white freshwater pearl might be bleached to remove dark spots of conchiolin that show through the nacre, or it might be dyed or subjected to radiation to create an unusual color. These treatments are not always disclosed, but it is safe to assume that unless a pearl seller specifically states otherwise, a pearl has been treated in some fashion.

Freshwater pearls come in a wide range of sizes, from a few millimeters up to ten or more mm. In general, pearls in smaller diameters tend to have more pronounced, and more intense, luster than larger pearls.